I was reading a blog from one of my business coaches Joel Malm. His article reconfirmed to me something that I already knew, but didn't like. Not everyone is going to agree with you or like you. Writing my books is one of those things that is not easy. That always feels tough to me. I feel like I try hard to be kind and help others, but at the end of the day I am who I am. I realized how important it is to be thankful for the people who support you.
Here is the article from Joel Malm, Words From Your Biggest Fans
I got a comment the other day on my blog from someone who didn’t agree with something I said. The person told me how I was wrong and then went on to say that it was people like me who are the problem with the church in America today.
It bothered me. The words were ringing in my head for most of the morning. I got discouraged and wondered if I should just stop blogging. But then I remembered a quote by Teddy Roosevelt:
It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes up short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat.
If you try to do anything of value in this world someone is going to criticize you. They’ll tell you why you are wrong and how you should have done it better.
But as old Teddy reminds us, critics don’t deserve any credit. Anyone can sit around and point out what they don’t like. You can be the least intelligent person in the world and be a critic. The credit belongs to those who are in the trenches, doing their best to follow what God has called them to do. Even if they don’t get it 100% right – at least they are trying.
In the end only one critic will matter. God. Thing is, he’s not even a critic. He’s your biggest fan. And I’m pretty certain he’s cheering you on saying, “Keep doing what I put in your heart!”
Be courageous. Listen for any grains of truth in the criticism. But don’t let the critics keep you from going after what God put in your heart to do.
Fear of man will prove to be a snare, but whoever trusts in the LORD is kept safe.Pr. 29:25
Lisa Giesler, Professional Home Organizer, Author, and Speaker
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